Embase and Other Resources Recently Available Through Barr Smith Library

Compiled by Mick Draper
Last update August 2011

Access to Embase

You can get Embase from the Library Catalogue by typing in

embase.com

Access is also available from the Databases Tab on the Library Home

Right click this link to open the database in a new window or new tab

The Search

Prediabetic state in obese adolescents

Language and Logic
Decide on the concepts that you need for this search.

Logic Grid

It helps if you begin to construct a logic grid (on a piece of paper or a Word doc etc) by writing down the main concepts in your search.

Underneath each concept write down words or phrases that are synonyms.
To help you do this, it's useful to look at Embase's Emtree database.

Emtree
Emtree is the database of subject headings added to citations in the Embase database to describe their topical contents.

Type in a term to describe a single concept from your search.

Embase uses the term impaired glucose tolerance rather than prediabetic.

Click on the link for this term.
Hierarchies of Emtree associated this term appear.

The term impaired glucose tolerance has been used by Embase (or earlier versions of the database) since 1974.
There are a serious number of synonyms listed.
These synonyms can be added to the logic grid.

Look at the term 'impaired glucose tolerance':de,ab,ti

The : tells Embase that the term information is finished, and the next bit of information relates to where Embase should look for the term.
de tells Embase to look for the phrase impaired glucose tolerance in descriptor field (subject heading) of citations and also in the abstract and the title fields.

Title and Abstract Search
Notice that I've added synonyms or alternative terms for impaired glucose tolerance to the appropriate column of the logic grid.
The use of :ab,ti means that these terms will be searched in the abstracts and titles of the citations.

Phrase searching in Embase
To search on specific phrases in Embase the words in the phrase must be enclosed in single or double quotation marks.
If you were to search Embase for impaired glucose tolerance:ab,ti

Embase would look for

impaired AND glucose AND tolerance:ab,ti

in the same citation.

Truncation

Notice that I've added the truncation symbol * to the single word stem prediabet.

This means that Embase will search for all terms that have this word stem such as

prediabetes
prediabetic
prediabetics

Truncation can't be used in phrase searching and variations on a phrase must be searched separately.

Now try obese in Emtree

None of these terms look too good, but let's try clicking on the link to diabetic obesity.

Obesity has several more specific Emtree terms listed beneath it.
If you want to search all of these terms as subject headings then the search can be exploded.

To tell Embase to do this the term is entered as obesity/exp

Add this to the logic grid.

We should also search obesity, obese, obesities etc in the titles and abstracts of citations.

Scroll down the Emtree screen for obesity to look at the synonyms.

Continue to add other synonyms for obesity to the logic grid.
Remember that phrases are to be enclosed in quotes, and that it's best to ask Embase to search in specific fields.

List of Embase Searchable Fields

adolescent vs adolescence vs adolescen*

Look at the Emtree for adolescent.

Adolescence is also an Emtree term.

Notice that both Emtree terms adolescent and adolescence have more specific terms listed below them.
If you want to search for these terms as well as the parent term then you have to ask Embase to explode the search.
The more specific terms under adolescent don't look very interesting in the context of this search;
but we could use adolescence/exp.

For other searches it's useful to note that Emtree uses North American spelling, but the citations in Embase will have both forms of spelling.

Search Logic
The grid now sorts out the logic for you.
Here are the rules
Combine all the terms in the first column using OR logic.
Enclose these terms in round brackets.

('impaired glucose tolerance':de,ab,ti OR 'chemical diabetes':ab,ti OR 'glucose tolerance impairment':ab,ti OR 'impaired glucose tolerance':ab,ti OR 'latent diabetes':ab,ti OR 'latent diabetic':ab,ti OR 'potential diabetes':ab,ti OR 'potential diabetic':ab,ti OR 'pre clinical diatetes':ab,ti OR 'pre clinical diabetic':ab,ti OR 'preclinical diabetes':ab,ti OR 'preclinical diabetic':ab,ti OR 'pre diabetes':ab,ti OR 'pre diabetic':ab,ti OR prediabet*:ab,ti )

Do the same for each column of search terms.

Join the bracketed terms using AND logic.

('impaired glucose tolerance':de,ab,ti OR 'chemical diabetes':ab,ti OR 'glucose tolerance impairment':ab,ti OR 'impaired glucose tolerance':ab,ti OR 'latent diabetes':ab,ti OR 'latent diabetic':ab,ti OR 'potential diabetes':ab,ti OR 'potential diabetic':ab,ti OR 'pre clinical diatetes':ab,ti OR 'pre clinical diabetic':ab,ti OR 'preclinical diabetes':ab,ti OR 'preclinical diabetic':ab,ti OR 'pre diabetes':ab,ti OR 'pre diabetic':ab,ti OR prediabet*:ab,ti ) AND (obesity/exp OR obes*:ab,ti OR 'fat overload syndrome':ab,ti OR overweight:ab,ti) AND (adolescen*:de,ab,ti OR teen*:ab,ti OR youth*:ab,ti OR juvenile*:ab,ti )

Enter this search in Embase not Emtree and click on Search.

How does this search compare with a relatively naive search for

prediabet* AND obes* AND (adolescen* OR teen* OR youth* OR juvenile*)

with mapping, explosion, and synonyms turned on.

How does the Embase search compare with an equivalent PubMed search

Set Up Alerts
You can register a Username and Password by clicking on Register in the top right of the Embase screen.

Once registered you can click on the envelope icon on the search results screen.

Export Citations
Select individual citations for export by clicking in the boxes to the left of the titles.

Click to decide on whether to export selected citations, all citations or something in between.

Click on the Export link.

Other New Resources from The Library

BestPractice Clinical Evidence
BestPractice combines the latest information on diagnosis and treatment of a range of conditions and incorporates clinical evidence and opinion.
It's loved by MBBS students doing revision and getting background info for assignments.
The including of the Clinical Evidence part of the resource was a major factor in the Library subscribing.

BestPractice can be used off campus.

UpToDate
Similar to BestPractice but established longer and covers more conditions especially rare conditions.
UpToDate is available on campus for staff and students and off campus for students only.

Other Recently Acquired Resources

BioMed Central Supporter Membership
Criteria for 70% discount on article processing fees

Electronic Therapeutic Guidelines
We could look for Systemic arthritis in children

Henry Stewart Talks (The Biomedical & Life Sciences Collection)
e.g. The Clinical Assessment and Management of Child and Adolescent Obesity

JoVE

• Journal of visualized experiments
• JoVE Bioengineering
• JoVE Immunology and Infection
• JoVE Clinical and Translational Medicine
• Jove Neuroscience

e.g. Guidelines for Elective Pediatric Fiberoptic Intubation

LWW100
100 clinical journals from Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
To find the list of journals type lww 100 into the library catalogue (search engine style)

SpringerImages
More than 3 million searchable images and tables
e.g. 10 year old paediatric phantom

Coming Soon
BMJ Case Reports
A repository of more than 2500 articles from over 70 countries in all medical disciplines.
Articles are peer reviewed and come from practitioners, researchers and students.

Trial of OnExamination
Examination questions for medical, dental and nursing students